O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson had the chance to speak with Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, but he chose not to take part in the Zoom discussion. He is now having to defend that decision.
Over the last several weeks, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s Contract With Black America was met with mixed reactions. In particular, some people questioned why his plan did not address issues that specifically affect African-American women.
Cube also faced backlash for meeting with the Donald Trump campaign just weeks before the 2020 general election on November 3. Critics accused the rapper-turned-mogul of being used as a political pawn by the Republican president and his supporters.
In response, Cube claimed he wanted to sit down with both parties, but he said the Biden-Harris campaign told him they would not be able to have that conversation until after the election. During an appearance on Fox Soul’s Cocktails with Queens, Ice Cube was asked about potentially chatting with Senator Harris.
“Kamala Harris’s folks reached out to you and wanted you to be on this Zoom call because they thought your voice was important. Why did you choose to not participate in that?” Cocktails host Claudia Jordan asked Ice Cube on the show.
He answered, “We had spent a lot of people’s time putting the Contract With Black America together, and I just thought that getting on a Zoom call with 12 other entertainers all shooting what they believe needs to be done, to me wasn’t going to be productive.”
Cube went on to talk about how his lawyer had a “connection” with Harris, and he never received a “promised” one-on-one call from her team. The 51-year-old Hip Hop legend also stated that he did not want to talk to people who “can’t make it happen.” Jordan responded to that statement by declaring, “She’s the vice-presidential candidate.”
The news that Ice Cube turned down a chance to speak with the possible next Vice President of the United States came in conjunction with reports of Congressman Cedric Richmond, the National Co-Chair of the Biden campaign, saying he did have a Zoom call with Cube. He disputed Cube’s claim that Democrats chose to wait until after November 3 to speak with the rapper.
Richmond told Joe Madison, “The offer to stay engaged was not, ‘We’ll talk to you after the election.’ It went like this: ‘Here’s my cell number. Anything else you want to talk about on this plan or anything you think we need to talk about further, just pick up the phone and call.’”
Ice Cube did not refute that he had a discussion with a representative from the Biden-Harris campaign. He also did not directly refute that Richmond offered to speak to him about the CWBA or other issues at any time. Cube did tweet, “Instead of going back and forth Congressman, please release the Zoom meeting so the world can see what was said by all.”
Instead of going back and forth Congressman, please release the Zoom meeting so the world can see what was said by all. https://t.co/xfKz4s4Wyf
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 27, 2020